Vietnam War veteran helps teach students at Verona High School

Robert Maher teaches the Vietnam War history class during its first run in 2012.

The faces of history can normally be found in textbooks for most classes, but this summer, Verona students met someone who could help teach them about the past.

Verona High School hosted a course on the Vietnam War in June and July, attended by an actual veteran of the conflict. Robert Maher, who teaches the subject, said the tales from Marc Kaplan, the veteran, were a great contribution.

"I just found him to be fascinating," Maher said. "He would tell us stories, stuff you would never even think about from the standpoint of reading the historical accounts or a novel. He told us what it's like to open up a C-ration; they don't cover that sort of stuff in most written sources."

The class serves as an opportunity to earn college credit with Caldwell University. The participants met for 20 sessions, with the final exam held Monday, July 21. Kaplan did not attend the final week of the class due to a planned vacation and could not be reached for comment. However, he made an impact on the students during his time with them.

Nick DeVivo, a soon-to-be junior, said it was interesting to hear Kaplan's first-hand accounts.

The students would often bounce questions off of the veteran about the war to learn more, DeVivo said.

"He brought a lot of stories into this that we mostly wouldn't have known about otherwise," classmate Griffin Ciccone said.

Kaplan's presence served as only one reason for the seven other students to take the history class, which ran for its second year this summer. The course came to VHS in 2012, but did not take place last year because of a lack of participation. Maher said he hopes for an increased interest in the subject, as it can be a big boost for those who take it.

"Even though we're talking about Vietnam, we're talking about American policy in the 60s and 70s," the instructor said. "We're talking about the social aspects of American society during those times and economic themes. It's a huge value."

The Vietnam War program was the only college-credit option for students this summer at Verona High School, according to Acting Superintendent of Schools Charlie Miller. A psychology class took place in the building last year and was offered this year, in addition to a criminal justice course, but did not run this summer because of a lack of participation, according to Miller.

The principal of the school, Glenn Cesa, said he was pleased they were able to run the summer course and that Maher does a "fantastic job" with it. Cesa added that through talking to students as they pass through the hallways, he's heard nothing but good things about the class.

Dino Calandra, who will enter his junior year this fall, said he registered for the class mainly because his friends did. But, he also wanted to see what a more advanced course would be like after being in college prep for the past several years. Ciccone, who said he loves history, said it was a class worth taking.

"You're learning a lot about a war that people thought was disgraceful for the Americans and such," he said. "It brings out different information. We always talk about World War I and World War II, but the Vietnam War is something we need to know about."